Confused by Health Terms for Senior Health and Wellness?
While you understand the importance of monitoring your health and wellness as you get older, some of the terminology can be confusing. The following glossary translates some of the jargon you may have heard or read into easy-to-understand plain English.
Arthritis
Arthritis refers to a number of diseases that cause pain and adversely affect the range of motion of various parts of the body. You may be confused by the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints, and is commonly found in the hands or feet. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder characterized by a reduction of the cartilage in the joints – and often occurs in the knees.
Cool-Down
You may understand that engaging in a warm-up routine helps minimize the risk of injury as a result of strenuous exercise. However, you may not realize that a cool-down period, or a reduction in intensity, is just as essential to help your heart, lungs, and muscles transition back to a resting state after a workout session.
“In monitoring your health and wellness as you get older, some of the terminology can be confusing.”
Frequency versus Repetition
These two terms refer to similar concepts, but are easily confused. Frequency relates to how often you engage in an exercise. For instance, the frequency that you practice yoga may be three times per week. Repetition refers to the execution of an exercise through a complete single range of motion. For instance, one repetition of a sit-up consists of lifting the upper body to an upright position and lowering the upper body back to being flat on the floor.
Strength Training
Many people assume that strength training refers specifically to lifting weights. As a result, many people shy away from strength training because they fear they will develop a bodybuilder’s physique. While it is true that weightlifting is a form of strength training, it is not the only way to engage in strength training. Any exercise that requires muscles to work against a force, such as an external weight or even your own body weight, classifies as strength training. Strength training is also an excellent way to maintain metabolism and muscle tone as you grow older.
Do you have questions about terms?
Call Camino today — our skilled professionals can help clear up your confusion!